The FHRITP Incident: Shauna Hunt Interrupted by TFC Fans with “F*ck her right in the p*ssy,” Scandal Ensues

TFC fan Shawn Simoes loses his job with crown corporation Hydro One in Toronto after confrontation with City News reporter Shauna Hunt

FHRITP: Reporter confronts men who bombarded her with vulgarity

This story has gained a lot of traction on the internet for various reasons but here’s the basic premise: Toronto Football Club fan Shawn Simoes and some of his friends interrupted City One sports reporter Shauna Hunt by shouting the famous internet phrase, “F*ck her right in the p*ssy,” while she was interviewing fans outside the stadium. The reporter questioned the men as to whether or not they had waited to ruin her interview of these fans and the interaction between her and TFC fans identified as Ryan Hart and Shawn Simoes is what you see above. Unapologetic and argumentative, the whole thing is awkward at best from beginning until end. A simple apology could have avoided what has turned into a situation that cost one guy his job and both men are banned from attending TFC events for four years. Referred to as the FHRITP incident by Canada’s The Star, there seems to be media consensus around the vulgarity of the phrase but not around Shawn Simoes employer’s, Hydro One’s, actions in response to the whole situation. Specifically, the legality of firing an employee, one who earned well over $100k annually, for behavior outside of the workplace. The Star asked David Doorey (DD), associate professor at York University, employment law expert Howard Levitt (HL), and labour lawyer Andrew Langille (AL) their opinions on the legality of the firing, a few excerpts of which are below:

Q: Can an employee be fired for an out-of-work action?
AL: “Certainly, an employer can fire an employee whether they’re unionized or non-unionized for off-duty conduct if it reaches a certain threshold.”
HL: “The law is very similar for union members and non-union members in this area. If you do something which damages your employers brand, do something as outrageous as he did and it gets into the media so it is potentially embarrassing to your employer, it’s cause for discharge.”
Q: Does the profession of the dismissed employee matter in a legal context?
DD: “Yes. If he has to work closely with others (especially women), supervise others, or work with customers who may be offended by his conduct, then that can work against him. If he is in a management position, he may be held to a higher standard, since he is responsible for implementing employer policy, including avoiding sexual harassment.”